Sunday 19 July 2020

Jane Marple or Hercule Poirot?



In the light of my much-stated love of the Regency and my frequent assertion that it’s my go to genre, it occurred to me that I might have given the impression I rarely read or watch anything else. Not so. Like many, I love a good thriller though I can’t read anything containing horror as I’m left with bad dreams. A pity, because there’s some superb writing which I have to avoid for this reason.

Lockdown has given us the opportunity to re-watch many old favourites, some of which are rather dated but still very watchable. I’m pretty much talking cosy-crime here though you may have your own preferences of course. There are many series which fit the description ‘cosy crime’ and I won’t list them all, even if I could remember them.

Agatha Christie

So I got to thinking about Agatha Christie. Prolific, hugely readable, though I haven’t for years. I wonder what happened to my collection? And a joy on the small screen. But…Miss Marple or Poirot? For me there is only one Miss Marple, Joan Hickson epitomising our aged but needle-sharp sleuth. And David Suchet made the role of Hercule his own. It has left me unable or at least unwilling to watch any other actor in those roles because to me they ARE Jane Marple and Hercule Poirot.




As I’m writing this, I realise how drawn I am to this particular genre when it’s portrayed on the television. How many series, and I think they tend to be series, are produced for our delectation. Do you like the modern ones or do you go back to the tried and trusted? Or do you watch them all?

Back to the header of this piece then. For you, is it Miss Marple or Hercule Poirot?




I’m off now to see if I can find any Agatha Christie hidden away anywhere. See you next time.

Natalie


A sad footnote:
Also by Agatha Christie, though featuring neither Miss Marple nor Poirot, The Mousetrap, the world's longest running play, opened in London's West End in 1952 and ran continuously until March 2020 when stage performances had to be discontinued due to the COVID 19 pandemic. Let's hope it comes back soon

5 comments:

  1. I agree Joan Hickson will always be Miss Marple, as David Suchet will always be Hercule Poirot. I couldn't choose between them. :-)

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    1. Carol, I'm the same with Colin Firth as Darcy and Rupert Penry-Jones as Captain Wentworth. Usually, if I'm reading, I don't like having a pre-formed idea of the characters' appearance but in those two cases...sighs and blushes
      Thank you for stopping by

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  2. I Loved Joan Hickson as Miss Marple. I had them all on VHS and wore them out.

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    1. I've never had my own copies, Richard, but I've watched them countless times. Fortunately they keep repeating them

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